Carding and drafting apparatus



May 26, 1964 c. L. STILL. 3,134,144

CARDING AND DRAFTING APPARATUS Filed Dec. T50, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet l d.. .p l

uomo" /l Olil" mon /i al rml' May 26, 1964 c. l.. STILL 3,134,144

CARDING AND DRAFTING APPARATUS Filed Deo. 30, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .f/// uli "0 ATTORNEYS May 26, 1964 c. L. srlLL 3,134,144

CARDING AND DRAFTING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 30, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR.

wwf-54% l f 76 @MMM 5mm M ATTORNEYS May 26, 1964 c. L.. STILL CARDING AND DRAFTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 30, 1960 l n mlm I l lllllla llll United States Patent O 3,134,144 CARDING AND DRAFTING APPARATUS Conway L. Still, Greenwood, S.C., assignor to Greenwood Mills, Greenwood, S.C., a corporation of South Carolina Filed Dec. 30, 196i), Ser. No. 79,608 14 Claims. (Cl. 19--98) This invention relates to the carding of bers to produce a sliver and the drafting of the sliver so produced as those operations are carried out in the cotton system. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a novel apparatus, in which a plurality of carding operations are simultaneously performed and the slivers produced are drafted in a group and combined into a single sliver, which is deposited in a coil in a can. In the new apparatus, the carding operations are carried on by cards, which are of the revolving fiat type and generally conventional in construction. The number of cards used, the rate of production of each card, and the draft, to which the group of slivers is subjected, are chosen with regard to the quality of the final single sliver to be produced and the apparatus may include from four to twelve cards. Ordinarily, six or more cards will be employed and a typical form of the apparatus includes eight cards and subjects the slivers to a draft of eight. The final sliver produced in the typical unit is of such quality that it may be converted into a combed yarn with a subsequent drawing operation eliminated and corresponding savings in machine investment, floor space, labor, and power consumption.

The cards in the apparatus of the invention are arranged side by side in a row with their cylinder shafts aligned and connected together and the shaft of the end card at one end of the row is connected to a prime mover. A draw box is disposed near the end card and the slivers produced in the several cards are advanced along a guide to the draw box, in which the slivers are drafted and combined into a single sliver. The sliver issuing from the draw box passes in contact with an element of a stop motion to a coiler, which deposits the sliver in a can, and, periodically, a can doifer operates automatically to replace the full can with an empty one. A novel drive is provided for the doffers, the feed, lap, and calender rolls of the several cards, and the draw box and the coiler. The use of this drive permits the components driven thereby to be slowed down or stopped in order that the sliver may be properly severed in the can doing operation and a condition resulting in functioning of the stop motion can be corrected.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of one form of the new apparatus;

FIG. 1a is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale showing a part of the card drive;

FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are sectional views on the lines 2 2, 3-3, and 4--4, respectively, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a plan View of the draw box and coiler with the draw box shown diagrammatically;

FIG. 5a is a fragmentary elevational view showing the drive for the draw box;

FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation of the can doifer;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view with parts broken away showing the action of the can doler; and

3,134,144 Patented May 26, 1964 FIG. 8 is a simplified wiring diagram of the device for controlling the novel drive.

The carding and drafting apparatus of the invention in the form shown in the drawings comprises a plurality of cards 10 (FIGS. 1-3, incl.) of the conventional revolving flat type. Each card is complete in itself and mounted on its own base and the apparatus may include four to twelve such cards. The cards are disposed side by side in a row With their cylinder shafts 11 aligned and connected by couplings 12 and the cylinder shaft of the card 16a at one end of the row is driven by a prime mover, such as a line shaft or a motor. ln the apparatus illustrated, the cylinder shaft 11 of the end card 10a is connected through a coupling 13 to the output shaft 14a of a iuid drive gear reduction unit 14 which is disposed above and has its input shaft connected to the shaft of an electric motor 15.

The cylinder shaft 11 of each card carries a compound pulley, part 16 of which is connected by a belt 17 to a pulley 18 on the shaft 19a of the licker-in 119 of the card, while the other part 20 of the compound pulley is connected by a belt 21 to an idler pulley 22 on a stud 23. A pulley 24 also mounted on the stud 23 is connected to the pulley 22 and drives the shaft 2S of the comb 26 of the card through a belt 27. A third pulley 28 on the cylinder shaft is connected by a belt 29 to a pulley 30 which is connected through gearing to the shaft 31 of the sprocket wheels driving the series of flats 32.

The cylinder shaft 11 of the end card 10a carries a sprocket wheel 33 connected by a chain 34 to a sprocket wheel 35 attached to one element 36 of a clutch C. The clutch element is mounted for free rotation on a countershaft 37 but is held against longitudinal movement relative thereto. The countershaft lies at the delivery end of the end card 10a and is mounted for rotation in pillow block bearings 38. The second element 39 of the clutch is mounted on the shaft to rotate therewith but may be moved longitudinally to engage the element 36 by a fluid cylinder 40 having a piston rod 41 connected to the clutch element 39.

The countershaft 37 carries a sprocket wheel 42 connected by a chain 43 to a sprocket wheel 44 on a stud 4S mounted on the frame 46 of the card 10a. A gear 47 on the stud is attached to the sprocket wheel 44 and meshes with a gear 48 on the shaft 49 of the doifer 50 of the card. The gear 48 also meshes with a gear 51 which meshes with a gear 52 on the shaft 53 of the lower calender roll 54. The shaft of the roll 54 is geared in the usual way to the shaft of the upper calender roll 55.

The doffer shaft 49 of the end card 10a is connected through bevel gearing 56 to one end of a shaft 57, the other end of which is connected through bevel gearing 58 to one end of the shaft 59 of the feed roll 60 of the card. The other end of the feed roll shaft is connected through a chain of gears 61 to the shaft 62 of the lap roll 63 of the card.

The shafts 49 of the doifers of the several cards are connected together by couplings 64 so that all the doifers are driven from the countershaft 37 through the chain 43, the sprocket wheel 44, and the gears 47 and 48. The doffer shaft of each card carries a gear 48 for driving the calender rolls of the card through gears 51 and 52 and the doffer shaft of each card is also connected to drive the feed roll and lap roll of the card through driving connections described in connection with the card 10a.

A sliver guide 65 in the form of a flat strip of polished metal with a low side is mounted to extend along the row of cards at the delivery ends thereof and terminates close to a draw box 66, such as is used in a comber. The draw box is mounted beyond the delivery rolls of the end card a and supported from the frame of that card. A guide 67 attached to the calender roll stand of each card extends over the sliver guide 65 to direct the sliver issuing from the card to its proper position on the sliver guide 65. The guides 67 project different distances over the guide 65 and insure that the slivers deposited on the guide 65 will lie side by side and in contact. The slivers are drawn along the guide 65 partly by the action of the rolls in the draw box and partly by helper rolls 68 mounted to rest upon the group of slivers inthe guide 65. Each helper roll lies in front of a card and is driven through bevel gearing 69 from the calender roll shaft 53 of the card. The helper rolls are driven at a slightly higher surface speed than the speed of movement of the sliver 'along guide 65 produced by the action of the draw box 66 and only a few helper rolls are required.

The draw box (FIGS. l, 3, 4, 5, 5a) is of conventional construction and includes a series of iluted bottom rolls 70 which are driven through gearing by a shaft 71 having a sprocket wheel 72 connected by a chain 73 to a sprocket wheel '74 mounted on a shaft 75 connected through bevel gearing within a casing 76 to the countershaft 37. The draw box includes the usual covered top rolls 77 held in contact with respective bottom rolls by spring or weight loading and the pairs of rolls are driven at successively higher speeds to apply a draft to the slivers. The drafted slivers leaving the front pair of rolls of the draw box enter a trumpet 78 and are combined into a single sliver DS which passes between calender rolls 79 driven through gearing from the front bottom roll of the draw box.

The sliver DS leaving the calender rolls of the draw box travels to the top of a collar 80 (FIGS. 6, 7) and, on its way, rests upon the spoon 81 of a counter-weighted lever 82 pivoted on a suitable part of the coiler and carrying a mercury switch 83 in a stop motion circuit. So long as the drafted sliver DS is formed by the drafting of the slivers from all the cards in use, its weight is suicient to maintain the lever 82 in such position as to hold the switch 83 open but, if the weight of the drafted sliver DS drops because of a failure of the sliver from one of the active cards to reach the draw box, the lever 82 will tilt so that switch 83 will be closed and the clutch member 39 will be moved by the cylinder 4t) away from the clutch member 36 to disconnect the countershaft from the coupled cylinder shafts. As the doler, the feed, lap, and calender rolls of the cards are all driven from the countershaft, the disengagement of the clutch will cause a stoppage in the delivery of sliver by the respective cards. The collar has the usual vertical shaft 84 connected through bevel gearing 35 to a shaft S6 carrying a sprocket wheel 87 and a chain S8 connects the sprocket wheel to a sprocket wheel 89 on the shaft 90 of one of the calender rolls of the draw box. The coiler includes a tube gear driven from the shaft 84 and provided with the usual tube 91 acting as a rotary sliver guide, the gear having a flat bottom face. The coiler also includes a turntable 92 driven from the shaft 84 and the turntable may have a flat top or be provided with an upwardly tapered crown 92a. The turntable lies within a semi-circular opening in a base 93, which is of sufficient size to support an empty can 94 in proximity to the can 95 on the turntable. The lbase is mounted on supports above the floor level and with its top lying above the plane of the top of the turntable and, preferably, in the plane of the top of the crown, if the turntable has a crown. The curved edge of the base adjacent the turntable is an arc with its ends lyting at opposite sides of the center of the turntable and having a radius not substantially greater than that of a can, so that it acts to center the can on the turntable.; A pad 96 is mounted on the top of the base at a distance from the curved edge of the base and in such position that, when the rear edge of the empty can rests on the pad, the can will be tilted toward the can on the turntable.

A framework 97 is mounted on the base and includes a side frame 98 extending along the side edge of the base adjacent the card 10a and a rear frame 99 extending upward from the base at the rear thereof. An arm 100 is rigidly attached at one end to a shaft 101 in bearing brackets on the front face of a cross-bar of the rear frame 99 and, at its other end, the arm is attached to a plate 102 serving as a can pusher and having a concave front face engageable with an empty can on the base above the center of gravity of the can. A rod 103 is attached to the pusher 102 and extends upwardly therefrom and a link 104 is attached at one end to the rod between the ends of the rod. The other end of the link is pivotally attached to a bracket 165 so mounted on the frame 99 that the link lies parallel to the arm 100. A lever arm 106 attached rigidly to the shaft 101 has its free end connected to the piston rod 107 of a piston within a fluidoperated cylinder 198.

The rod 103 projects through a ring 109 attached to a pair of rods 110 which extend forward divergently from the ring and are attached at their front ends to the rear edge of a sliver severing plate 111 having a serrated front edge and movable in guides 112 secured to the lower face of the head 113 of the coiler at opposite sides of the exposed lower face of the tube gear. The rods 110 are also connected by a ring 114 which encircles a guide rod 115 attached to the head 113 and to a rod 116 rising from the top of the frame 99.

The operation of the can doifer its controlled electrically as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 8 and the control means includes means, such as a conventional sliver yardage counter or a timer T, which functions periodically to energize the solenoid S1 controlling the uid cylinder 40 to cause the cylinder to disengage clutch C, through which the countershaft 37 is connected to the coupled cylinder shafts. Upon disengagement of the clutch, the dotfers and the feed, lap, and calender rolls of the cards and the draw box and the coiler begin to slow down. The counter or timer also actuates the time delay relay TD which functions after an interval to energize the solenoid S2 to cause the cylinder 108 to swing the can doffer arm 100 counter-clockwise, as shown in FIG. 6. The pusher 102 then starts to push the empty can 94 while maintaining it tilted so that the top rim of the empty can engages the top rim of the full can 9S. As the pusher advances the empty can, the full can is tilted so that it rests upon the turntable only at one point and can be easily moved olf the turntable over the crown thereof, if suc'n a crown is present, and onto a wear plate 93a lying beyond the end of the base. In the forward movement of the pusher 102, it moves the plate 111 across the tiat lower face of the tube gear to sever the sliver issuing from the sliver guide tube 91. When the arm 100 has moved forward to complete the replacement of the full can by the empty can, the arm actuates a limit switch LS which resets the timer and de-energizes the solenoids S1 and S2. The hydraulic cylinders 40 and 108 then operate to re-engage the clutch C and retract the pusher mechanism so that an empty can can be placed on the base with its rear edge resting on the pad 96.

The inclusion in the preferred form of the carding and drafting apparatus of the invention of six or more cards of conventional size results in the discharge of sliver from the tube of the tube gear at a speed which may be as high as from 500 ft. to 600 ft. a minute. With the sliver leaving the tube at that rate, it is impractical to doff the cans manually because of the difficulty of breaking the sliver and the quantity of sliver which would pile up in the turntable after the full can was removed and before the empty can could be put in place. When the cans are doffed automatically, it is desirable that the delivery of the slivers from the cards and the operation of the draw box and the coiler be slowed down so that the sliver can be properly severed in the doiiing operation between the full and empty can. If desired, the interval between the disengagement and the re-engagement of the clutch C may be sufficiently long to permit the card doifers and the other components driven from the countershaft to come to a full stop and no damage will then be done to the individual slivers, so long as the card dolfers are not lstopped for more than a few seconds. However, it is preferable that the countershaft and the components driven thereby be slowed down and not stopped, since, with the parts in motion, less load is imposed on the driving connections upon resumption of normal operation.

While it would be possible to slow down the rate of delivery of the final `sliver from the tube of the tube gear by cutting off the current supply to the motor, such action would require that all the moving components of all the cards be brought up to speed after each dofiing operation and this would cause objectionable strains to be imposed on the driving connections. With the new drive, the operation of the cylinders, licker-ins, ats, and combs of the card-s is uninterrupted during can dofng and, as these parts are heavy, their inertia affords substantial assistance to the motor in restoring the countershaft and the card components driven thereby to normal speed at the conclusion of a can doing operation. The apparatus is thus able to function with frequent can doiiing without damage to the motor and driving connections.

The cans used for receiving the drafted sliver in the new apparatus are larger than the can ordinarily used with a Card and have a capacity several times that of the small can. The use of such large cans and the subjection of the `slivers issuing from the cards to a drafting operation improve the quality of the drafted sliver because of the elimination of sliver splices and other defects caused by manual can handling and by errors by the operators.

As pointed out above, the typical apparatus of the invention including eight cards can be operated to produce a drafted sliver of such quality that it can be converted into a combed yarn with only a single drawing operation before combing instead of the two ysuch operations normally required between the cards and the comber. A form 0f the new apparatus can be also used to advantage in the production of carded yarn and, in some instances in that application, the sliver issuing from the unit is so superior to that produced by the conventional card and a single drawing operation that the finisher drawing operation ordinarily used in the production of carded yarn can be eliminated.

I claim:

1. A carding and drafing apparatus, which comprises a plurality of cards producing respective slivers and each having a cylinder, a doffer, and a licker-in, the cylinder, doifer, and licker-in having respective shafts, the cards being arranged in a row with their cylinder shafts aligned, means for coupling the cylinder shafts, a prime mover connected to the coupled cylinder shafts, means for driving the licker-in shafts, a counter shaft parallel to the cylinder shafts, a driving connection between one cylinder shaft and the countershaft, the driving connection including a clutch, means for driving the doffer shafts from the countershaft, a draw box receiving the slivers issuing from the cards and discharging a single drafted sliver, a coiler receiving the drafted sliver and depositing it in a can, means for driving the draw box and the coiler from the countershaft, can doing means for replacing a full can by an empty one, and means operating after the deposit of a selected quantity of sliver in the can to disengage the clutch and start the operation of the can doing means.

2. The apparatus of claim l, in which the draw box is disposed at the delivery end of a card at one end of the row, a stationary flat plate forming a sliver guide extends along the row of cards at their delivery ends and supports the slivers on their way from the cards to the draw box, helper roll means engage the slivers on the guide and help to advance them, and the helper roll means are connected indirectly and operatively to the countershaft to be driven thereby.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, in which each card has calender rolls, one of which has a shaft operatively connected to the dolfer shaft of the card, and the helper roll means include at least one helper roll operatively connected to the shaft of a calender roll of an adjacent card to be driven thereby.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the shafts of the doffers of the cards are aligned, means are provided for coupling the doffer shafts, and the coupled doffer shafts are driven by a connection between onel of the doifer shafts and the countershaft.

S. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the draw box has calender rolls indirectly driven by the countershaft, the coiler has a drive shaft, and the draw box calender rolls are connected to the coiler drive shaft through a driving connection.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the coiler includes a turntable for rotating the can being filled and a rotating sliver tube and the can doing means includes a support for an empty can near the can being filled on the turntable and means for engaging the side of an empty can on the support and moving it against the full can and onto the turntable, the full can being pushed off the turntable at the same time.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, in which the can dofling means includes starting means for the can doiling means, such starting means including time delay means causing a delay in the functioning of the starting means following the disengagement of the clutch.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, which includes means for re-engaging the clutch, said means being operated by the means for engaging and moving the empty can, when the engaging and moving means has replaced a full can with an empty one.

9. The combination with a coiler having a turntable rotatable on a lixed vertical axis for supporting and rotating a can and a rotary sliver tube for directing sliver into the can on the turntable, of a stationary support adjacent to the turntable for supporting an empty can, means for engaging the side of an empty can on the support above the center of gravity only of the can and moving the empty can against a can full of sliver on the turntable and onto the turntable, the full can being pushed olf the turntable at the same time, and means reciprocable over the turntable by the can engaging and moving means for severing the sliver between the rotary sliver tube and the full can.

10. The combination of claim 9, in which the can engaging and moving means includes a reciprocating pusher and a luidaoperated cylinder actuating the pusher and the severing means.

11. The combination of claim 9, which includes a tube gear having a flat lower face, the rotary sliver tube forming a part of the tube gear, a moveable plate forming a part of the severing means, and guides for guiding the plate across the face of the gear in the movement of the plate, the plate having a cutting edge engageable with sliver issuing from the rotary sliver tube.

12. The combination of claim l1, which includes a reciprocating pusher forming part of the can engaging and moving means and a connection between the pusher and the movable plate and in which the can engaging and moving means includes a fluid-operated cylinder for moving the pusher and plate.

13. The combination of claim 9, in which the empty can support is provided with means for tilting an empty can on the support toward the full can on the turntable and the can engaging and moving means advances the empty can in such tilted position whereby the empty can engages and tilts the full can on the turntable and moves the full can in tilted position off the turntable.

14. The combination of claim 9, Which includes means Aacting after the deposit of a selected quantity of sliver into the can on the turntable to initiate the operation of 5 the can engaging and moving means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 McGinnis Apr. 24, 1934 Warner Oct. 28, 1941 Hideo Aono et al Dec. 20, 1960 Bettoni et al Ian. 8, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS France Ian. 2, 1941 France May 18, 1942 Germany Dee. 20, 1930 Great Britain Aug. 29, 1929 Great Britain Sept. 4, 1930 OTHER REFERENCES Textile World, November 1959, page 54. 

1. A CARDING AND DRAFTING APPARATUS, WHICH COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF CARDS PRODUCING RESPECTIVE SILVERS AND EACH HAVING A CYLINDER, A DOFFER, AND A LICKER-IN, THE CYLINDER, DOFFER, AND LICKER-IN HAVING RESPECTIVE SHAFTS, THE CARDS BEING ARRANGED IN A ROW WITH THEIR CYLINDER SHAFTS ALIGNED, MEANS FOR COUPLING THE CYLINDER SHAFTS, A PRIME MOVER CONNECTED TO THE COUPLED CYLINDER SHAFTS, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE LICKER-IN SHAFTS, A COUNTER SHAFT PARALLEL TO THE CYLINDER SHAFTS, A DRIVING CONNECTION BETWEEN ONE CYLINDER SHAFT AND THE COUNTERSHAFT, THE DRIVING CONNECTION INCLUDING A CLUTCH, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE DOFFER SHAFTS FROM THE COUNTERSHAFT, A DRAW BOX RECEIVING THE SLIVERS ISSUING FROM THE CARDS AND DISCHARGING A SINGLE DRAFTED SLIVER, A COILER RECEIVING THE DRAFTED SLIVER AND DEPOSITING IT IN A CAN, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE DRAW BOX AND THE COILER FROM THE COUNTERSHAFT, CAN DOFFING MEANS FOR REPLACING A FULL CAN BY AN EMPTY ONE, AND MEANS OPERATING AFTER THE DEPOSIT OF A SELECTED QUANTITY OF SLIVER IN THE CAN TO DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH AND START THE OPERATION OF THE CAN DOFFING MEANS. 